Interview: Chengdu buzz band Stolen on their debut disc and their appearance at Echo Park

With over 57 artists performing across four stages, Split Works is returning to the outdoor festival game in grand style. International acts like Kelis, Pennywise and Young Fathers may instantly draw the eye, but the two-day extravaganza will also spotlight ascending Mainland acts like Chengdu buzz band, Stolen.

With Douban’s new D-Force record label behind them, the quintet have made a major statement on their full-length debut, Loop. The disc was made available as a limited-edition free download, building buzz for the group’s ambitious 32-city national tour.

No VPN? Watch on LETV.

“I think every single band has a chance to be heard,” frontman Liang Yi says. “The most important thing to remember is that while China’s record market is not very good, there are still some people or companies that have not stopped looking for good independent music.”

Formed in high school by recent Chengdu émigrés, Stolen has become increasingly impossible to ignore. While most of its members attended the Sichuan Conservatory of Music for university, they stayed together and matured alongside their tastes.

“At the time, we were like any young student punk band doing a lot of covers,” Liang recalls. “Then, we began to like Kraftwerk, Portishead, Nine Inch Nails and Joy Division – this kind of cold, dark music.”

No VPN? Watch on LETV.

In 2011, they won the MIDI National Campus Contest. Their 2013 EP was released by New Noise, the promoters responsible for bringing post-rock stalwarts Tortoise and Toe for Mainland shows. Beijing indie institutions P.K. 14 handpicked Stolen to open for them at the Chengdu stop of their last national tour, with their guitarist Xu Bo serving as producer to Stolen’s new record.

Recorded over five days at Taiwan’s 112F Studio, Loop is a sterling introduction to Stolen. However, Liang is already thinking of the group’s next chapter.

“It’s not enough that we’ve made some progress compared to our early music and performances,” he says. “Recently, we’ve been thinking about ways to get rid of the limitations of styles like electronic music or rock music; to create something new. This is a very big challenge and adventure, but one we want to be able to finish on our next album.”

// Stolen performs at Echo Park on Sep 19, 2.20-3pm on the Woozy Dimension Stage.

// Sep 19-20, 11am-11pm, RMB200-260 (one day), RMB300-400 (two-day pass). Shanghai Rugby Football Club, tickets.